About the author and illustratorBob Raczka has written many books about art and art history for children. He lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Nancy Doniger has illustrated several books for children and done editorial illustration for the New York Times and other publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Recommended age level: 8-12; grade levels: 3rd grade – 7th grade

Summary of bookThere are 22 poems that stretch across different themes and they are in no particular order. Raczka makes you think and look at words in a different way since each poem only uses one single word to construct the entire poem. When you first see the poem each letter is under the letter from the main single word to create the poem. It is a poem puzzle that begs to be solved. Some poems are quick and easy while others make you ponder before you turn the page because you want to believe that it is easier than it looks. Then if you finally say I give up the answer is on the back when you turn the page. And truly each poem is simple and powerful because he takes a single word and creates many words that turn into a poem that has depth and layers. Raczka creates a book that showcases poetry in a different way which makes it fun and challenging at the same time.

Questions to ask before reading bookAsk students to look at how the word lemonade is dropping into the pitcher. Now discuss why the author use the word “squeezed” in the title?
Look at the Table of Contents and pick out 2 words and have the student imagine what comes to mind when you say those words. Then allow the students to create a list. For example when I think about television I think square, TV shows, cartoons, music video, and cable.
Do you think it is easy or hard to write poems that only use a single word as the inspiration?
Talk about how Raczka gives an overview of how he discovers one word poems from another author and he gives the other author credit by showing one of his poems. Why is it important to give credit to others?

Suggestions for reading poem aloud“Spring”- I sing/I spin/I grin
This is a great poem for the whole group to read together while doing exactly what it says to do in the poem.

“Snowflakes”
Have students use their hands to go up and down as they read the poem. When hands go up simulate new snow that is about to start again and hands come down they simulate the snow falling down which is a good way to incorporate movement while reading the poem.

“Playground”
Divide students into two groups and one group read the first three lines and the second group read the 2nd group of three lines. Also this poem could be read outside while on the playground so that students can act out the play as they read it.
Follow up activities (writing, art, science, etc.)Poem WritingAsk the students to be creative by picking their own single word and creating a poem using the single word chosen.
Example: Guidelines
Us Nine
In line
Legs in
Use Slide
I Glide
Line Ends

ArtIn the book the illustrator used simple drawing for the poems. Ask students to visualize what their poem represents. Students will create their own simple drawing for their poems using different mediums.

MathIn the book the poems are in columns so have the students use the column method to create their poems. Once they are finish ask students to count the letters used in their poem. Then they can create a graph that shows which letters were used from least to greatest. The data would show which letters are used more when creating the new words from the single word.

Social Studies In the book there are two different poems that focus on minivan and vacation. A great social studies activity would be for the students to pick a destination in the U.S.A. they would like to go on for their vacation. Now have the students find out fun facts about that destination. And for fun the students can try to create another single word poem using the destination as their inspiration. I chose to create a poem about Houston.
South Host
Sun
Too Hot
Oh No
Out

ScienceIn this book there are two poems that relate to spring and two poems that relate to winter. Have students create a graphic organizer to compare and contrast between winter and spring.

One of the poems is called “Creative” and Bob Raczka’s website has a link to his favorite place to look at art. That would be a great pair to read the poem then go to the link for The Art Institute of Chicago to look at the same great art.
http://www.bobraczka.com/

Related fiction Read the “Treehouse” poem and then can use this book to relate how fun and magical a tree house can be.Mary Osborne. (2003). HIGH TIDE IN HAWAII –MAGIC TREE HOUSE. New York: Random House Books. ISBN 978-0375806162
Read the “Bicycle poem and then can use this book to talk about how important bike safety is because things can happen in a blink of an eye
Park, Barbara. (1996). MICK HARTE WAS HERE. New York: Yearling Publishing. ISBN 978-0679882039

About Me

Sylvia Vardell is a professor and author of the ALA bestseller POETRY ALOUD HERE, also POETRY PEOPLE, CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN ACTION, and the co-editor of THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY series (for K-5 and for 6-8), as well as the first digital anthologies of poetry for young people, the POETRY TAG TIME series-- all in collaboration with poet Janet Wong. Vardell is also the poetry columnist for ALA’s BOOK LINKS magazine. A frequent speaker at conferences, Vardell chaired the NCTE Poetry Award committee and has served as a consultant to the Poetry Foundation.